This Week In Art/Culture/Entertainment
By John Swartz
I remember the first year the chamber of commerce tried to have a Labour Day weekend event. Most years there was no specific event happening, though there have been attempts from time to time.
When Allan Lafontaine first told me in 2018 what he was planning an event to be called Pirate Party at the Port of Orillia, I thought, “good luck’, and I told him the history of events on the weekend and wished him good luck.
That first year did not flop. It wasn’t spectacular, but boaters came, and it drew a few people, enough to justify another year. After the pandemic it exploded. Reenactors were brought in to do demonstrations. Sea battles were staged at the Port and at Stevie’s House. More boaters and event visitors did their best to dress the part, and the Walk the Plank event hs attracted bigger crowds each year since.
I think we have a Labour Day weekend event with staying power to count on. There isn’t just one thing it hangs its hat on, except for the plank business.
Downtown merchants will also be participating with a sidewalk sale. There will be a Scavenger Hunt downtown from Friday to Sunday. Dr. Bonkers will be performing at 11 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. in the downtown on the 30th.
New this year are Pirate Cruises. You can book those online here (just make sure you are on the Orillia page and click the green availability link).
This event has turned into a reenactor’s extravaganza, with mock battles in Couchiching Beach Park and on the water and other demonstrations happening at various times during the day.
There will be live music at the Port Saturday and Sunday evenings at 9 p.m. with the Fat Tony Band and The Orangemen and on Monday afternoon with the awesome Run With the Kittens at 1 p.m. Opening for the Kittens is the winner of the Orillia’s Got Talent contest, Evie Johnstone.
Of course the main attraction is the Walk The Plank event Saturday at 4 p.m. This is a fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Orillia, specifically for refurbishments to the Aqua Theatre.
There is a full schedule of events here.
It Was A Starry Night
The weather last Saturday afternoon did not look promising for the annual Starry Night Event in the Arts District, but despite a bit of light rain at the 7 p.m. start time, the crowds came. I arrived on the street at about 7:45 p.m. after dropping into Charles Pachter and Keith Lem’s MOFO gallery first. I’ve tended to go to Charles and Keith’s early before the crowds show up, but there were a number of people on hand getting the tour and stories about the art and the gallery. Both post photos afterward each year showing lots of people on hand after I moved on.
When I got to Peter Street, emerging from the alley, I was surprised by what I saw. There seemed to me to be more canopy type tents lining the street than ever before and the street was full of people – it only got more crowded as the night progressed.
Paul Baxter set up a stage and arranged for a DJ to play some music near the intersection at Mississaga Street. He also set up a scene for people to take photos of their own and had a display of his own art. Notable was a new very large painting of the tree and building lost to the fire last January. At Peter Street Fine Art Xavier Fernandes had a display of his wood turning art, which included bowls made from trees taken down in the downtown last summer. That tree in Paul’s painting lives on as bowls Xavier made.
Paul Baxter speaking with Starry Nighters 
Photo backdrop and art memorialization of the fire by Paul Baxter
There was music being played by the Twin Lakes Secondary students and a dance performance by dancers who all performed at last March’s Arts Orillia fundraiser (which was the night one of the Ice Storm).
Frankly, I did not have great expectations because the hype for the event did not start until only a couple weeks before hand (later than previous years) and until then I was wondering if it was even going to happen. This year’s may have been the biggest yet.
There was one notable absence, the Orillia Museum of Art and History was dark and they did not have a street presence. I don’t quite understand why they chose not to participate this year (I was told they did not have enough staff or volunteers to open), but as the anchor gallery of the Arts District, it did not look good and many people commented about it to me.
Still is was a fantastic night. With Molly Farquharson’s retirement and closing of Hibernation Arts, her absence, as the ringleader among ringleaders, next year and beyond, might have an effect. I hope it doesn’t because this is, other than the Classic and Custom Car Show, the biggest thing happening downtown each summer.
Aqua Theatre
This weekend’s movie lineup has a showing of The Goonies at 9 p.m. Saturday night, and the Markham Concert Band plays the last of the Sunday evening concerts for this year. at 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Movies in the Park has one more night lined for September 13 with The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Derick Lehmann organized the movies and he is also organizing the Halloween Trunk or Treat event at ODAS Park. Registration for trunkers is open now and you can do so online.
OMAH
OMAH has an online survey to gather information about their direction for a strategic plan. It does not take long to do. One thing in the survey is a section to gauge the appetite for a new name. I don’t know why they’d want to change the name. The current name concisely states what they do and shortens to a nice acronym.
Some of the choices offered are: Orillia Cultural Centre & Archives, Orillia Creative Lab and Archives, Orillia Cultural Hub and Creative Studio Orillia. The last is too close to Creative Nomad Studios and I think would create confusion in the community. The others don’t include the art part of the equation, and if they don’t participate in community events like Starry Night the cultural center bit seems empty.
I did the survey and opted for no name change.
Yours To Uncover: An Ontario Road Trip at OMAH
Also at OMAH there are 4 exhibits to see; a permanent exhibit of their acquisition of items from Gordon Lightfoot’s estate, Gordon Lightfoot: Turning Back The Pages, in the small gallery on the main floor; the main gallery has the spectacular Yours To Uncover: An Ontario Road Trip featuring the work of Peter Fyfe and John Notten; an exhibit on the second floor of photos taken over the years at the Mariposa Folk Festival by Edwin Gailits (1970s era) and, Deb Halbot called Voices Through Time: A Mariposa Journey; and Orillia: Then And Now a collection of historical photos of Orillia landmarks and buildings contrasted with recent photos of the same by Samantha Vessios.
OMAH also has Music For The Museum event happening November with Jacquie Dancyger Arnold, Hugh Coleman, Ross Arnold, Blair Bailey, Laura Kelly, and Gail Spencer performing. Now is the best time to get tickets.
(Photos by Swartz – SUNonline/Orillia and Images Supplied) Main: Simcoe North MP Adam Chambers Walked the Plank at the 2023 Pirate Party
